


the world is your runway

by smilebackwards



Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, First Meetings, M/M, What Not To Wear AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-07-15 13:32:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7224376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smilebackwards/pseuds/smilebackwards
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Him,” Ben says, during the fifth nomination tape he and Anna have watched that day. The shaky camera footage is following a man in purple crocs, cargo shorts, and a flannel shirt at least two sizes too big.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the world is your runway

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [IBoatedHere](http://archiveofourown.org/users/IBoatedHere/pseuds/IBoatedHere)'s [modern Ben](http://iboatedhere.tumblr.com/post/145168132159) and [modern Caleb](http://iboatedhere.tumblr.com/post/145186657914) clothing choices headcanons and TLC's What Not to Wear which I am extremely sad has been taken from me on Netflix.

“Him,” Ben says, during the fifth nomination tape he and Anna have watched that day. The shaky camera footage is following a man in purple crocs, cargo shorts, and a flannel shirt at least two sizes too big.

Anna nods. “The cargo shorts especially are a travesty.”

“He’s adorable,” Ben says, watching Caleb walk along the docks. He smiles at something in the water and his eyes crinkle. “He just needs a little polish and some help with color and sizing.”

“‘Adorable?’” Anna says, turning to look at Ben with interest. “I agree, but Ben, _you_ think he’s adorable?”

Anna has always been very invested in Ben’s romantic happiness. More so than Ben. He’s never given her much to work with. In the decade plus they’ve known each other, she can probably count on one hand the number of times Ben’s expressed something even resembling attraction for someone. He tries to backpedal. “I mean, objectively.”

Anna rolls her eyes fondly. “Oh, of course, _objectively_ speaking. We’ll need to meet him properly to decide if he’s really worthy of your affections.” She calls back to their producer, “Martha, we like Caleb Brewster. Can you contact him and ask if he’d like to do the show?”

-

Caleb does want to do the show and he arrives in New York with three suitcases and two taped together cardboard boxes full of his egregious wardrobe choices.

The production assistants take charge of it all while Ben and Anna introduce themselves and show Caleb to the 360 mirror so they can talk about his current outfit. 

“Do you see how this shirt could be improved on?” Ben asks. The checked flannel is almost exactly like the one Caleb was wearing in the nomination footage. It practically swallows his frame. 

Caleb looks like he wants to give the right answer but he’s not sure what it is. 

“May I?” Ben asks, and waits for Caleb’s nod before he turns the collar of the shirt to see the tag. “Extra large,” Ben reads. “Caleb, you are not an XL. I’d usually go for small.” He brushes his hands outwards across the tops of Caleb’s shoulders. “Maybe medium if we tailor in the waist.”

“Tell us what you like about these jeans,” Anna says. The dark wash is nice but they hang off Caleb’s hips, the bottoms dragging along the ground.

Caleb shrugs. “They’re comfortable.”

“Comfort is always very important,” Anna agrees, “but the secondary purpose of any good pair of jeans is to show off your ass to its best advantage.” She tugs at the excess fabric. “This is not good. You’re detracting from your natural assets. Now look at Ben.”

Anna twirls a finger and Ben obligingly turns around so she can use his ass as a teaching tool. “This is what tailored pants look like,” Anna says. “No sagging. No extra fabric. You see the difference?”

“I think I need another minute to absorb the lesson,” Caleb says, winking at Ben in the mirror.

Ben feels his face flush a dull red that he knows is going to come through on camera. Someone will probably make a gif. There’s a famous reaction shot of Ben flinching violently away from a pair of cut off shorts that still makes the rounds on the internet every few months.

Ben turns around and clears his throat. “Let’s go look at your wardrobe.”

-

Caleb’s wardrobe takes up three clothes racks. He has something in every possible color in the rainbow. Ben can see multiple items in tie-dye. Not all of them are shirts.

Ben decides to start from the bottom. “You have twenty pairs of shoes and they’re all horrifying,” he says bluntly, picking up an armload of multicolored flip flops and crocs and dumping them into the trash can. 

Caleb makes a small protesting noise.

“We’ll get you something with a closed toe,” Ben says firmly. He spots a pair of—God—thigh-high _waders_ partially hidden behind the pole of the clothing racks. They’re bright yellow. Ben picks them up carefully, between forefinger and thumb. “But not these.”

“I actually use those for my job,” Caleb says.

Ben squints at him distrustfully. “I saw footage of you wearing them in the grocery store.”

“Sometimes I go to the grocery store after work.”

Ben pauses. The heel of one of the waders thuds gently against the inside rim of the trash can. “Compromise,” he offers. “We’ll find you a nice pair of tennis shoes to keep in your car or locker for after work.”

“Deal,” Caleb says. 

Ben reluctantly puts the waders off to the side. 

Anna is trying on an oatmeal-colored sweater so large it hangs down past the hem of her stylish floral sundress. “What is this?” she asks gleefully, tugging on what appear to be decorative wooden toggles on the front. “It looks like it should belong to a 6’4” Scandinavian named Sven.” 

Caleb grins. “It looks good on you. And it actually belonged to a 6’3” Greenlandic fisherman named Edvard. He was part of my host family when I studied abroad. It was even colder there than I expected.”

“That’s fantastic,” Anna says from inside the sweater as she tries to get it back over her head. Ben steps over to help. “But now that you live in a temperate zone again, let’s go ahead and send it back to him.”

Ben makes a note to ask Caleb more about Greenland when they have a segment that doesn’t have to be cut down to four minutes. He folds the sweater up neatly. Anything offered in kindness, no matter how hideous, deserves extra care.

The cargo shorts on the other hand… Ben throws pair after pair into the trash can. A camo printed pair feels oddly heavy. Ben opens one of the pockets to find a ticket stub for the latest Marvel movie, eighty two cents in change, and a tube of vanilla mint flavored lip gloss. 

“Oh shoot, I forgot to give that back to Mary after the movie,” Caleb says. Ben doesn’t think he lets his face fall but Caleb clarifies immediately, “My friend Abe’s wife.” Caleb reaches out for the lip gloss and their hands brush as Ben transfers it to his waiting palm along with the change. Ben throws the shorts into the trash can and dives back into the clothes rack, hand tingling oddly.

Anna tosses a floppy safari hat, a pair of Dollar Store sunglasses and what Ben thinks is a tube top while Ben organizes a row of bright, oversized t-shirts with logos for various charities on them, the kind you collect as a volunteer. _Habitat for Humanity. American Heart Association. World Wildlife Foundation._ Ben thinks he’s in love.

Caleb hovers at his shoulder. “Could I just… That one,” he says, pointing to a faded red t-shirt with chipped white letters that spell out Humane Society. “Could I keep that one, please?”

It’s threadbare and soft and Ben knows he’s going to be a sucker and let Caleb keep it even before he turns his brown eyes full force on Ben and adds, “I got that the same day I adopted my puppy.”

Caleb’s puppy is a one hundred and twenty pound Newfoundland that comes up to his shoulder. One of the video clips his friend Abe sent in with the nomination showed Caleb crouched on a skateboard, laughing wildly as he was towed along behind the dog at a frankly worrying speed. Ben wonders if he can convince Caleb to buy a helmet and wrist guards as part of his new wardrobe. There’s a sporting goods store on Sixth. 

“Just this one,” Ben says. Anna is going to pat his cheek and call him a soft touch when they’re alone but it’ll be worth it. Caleb looks ridiculously pleased. He slips the shirt on over his head like an extra safeguard. Ben consoles himself that it’s only one size too large.

Anna keeps tossing things ruthlessly while Ben helps Caleb choose a few things he can keep to wear for his environmental site visits. Ben has never let anyone keep so much of their original wardrobe. He can feel Anna smirking at him.

They wrap up the segment and the assistants drag away the trash can full of Caleb’s old clothes. Caleb doesn’t look upset the way some of the nominees do, but Ben feels compelled to add, “We do actually donate the clothes. The trash can is strictly metaphorical.”

“Good,” Caleb says. He shrugs as they walk into the display room. “It’s just stuff. Abe said you guys were going to give me $5000 to shop with here in New York.”

Ben digs through his wallet for the Visa card. 

“Not so fast,” Anna says, plucking it from his hand before he can give it to Caleb. “There are rules.” She leads them over to a manikin with a classic cable knit sweater and medium blue jeans; a simple, comfortable look Ben and Anna thought Caleb would like. 

“You have a very bright, fun personality,” Ben tells Caleb, trying to hold down a blush. “That’s wonderful. We don’t want to lessen that in your style. Anna and I love bright colors and interesting patterns.” Ben adjusts the sleeves of his cerulean cardigan. 

Anna spins in a circle, the floral pattern of her dress billowing out around her knees. “What we want you to consider is mixing in some neutrals to balance out the interest and look for colors that aren’t meant to be jarring to the human eye.”

“Think jewel tones and not construction zone,” Ben says, pointing to the sweater on the manikin. A nice topaz orange instead of neon.

Caleb nods. “I could maybe do that.”

“One more thing,” Anna says. “Remember Ben’s ass?”

“Vividly.” 

“We want you to find pants that make your ass look like that,” Anna says.

Caleb laughs. “I don’t know if they sell magic pants here in New York, but I’ll do my best.”

-

Ben and Anna watch from the studio as Caleb enters the first store and immediately heads for the clearance section. He picks up a shirt so bright it’s almost fluorescent and looks at it consideringly. 

Ben grips the couch cushion.

Caleb turns to look directly into the camera. “I think Ben would approve of this, don’t you?”

Ben stares. “Is he– Is he fucking with me right now?” he asks Anna, trying to parse whether what he feels is rage or white hot adoration.

“You’re honestly perfect for each other,” Anna says. “Do you want me to book the Gardens for your wedding? The waiting list was eight months when Selah and I got engaged. Do you think you’ll be able to wait that long?”

Ben doesn’t dignify that with an answer. He watches as Caleb, thankfully, puts down the fluorescent shirt and picks out a few less appalling ones.

“Would you like to donate to The American Cancer Society?” the cashier asks Caleb as he’s checking out. “They’re doing a charity drive this month and our store is matching all donations.”

“Yes,” Caleb says immediately and covers the keypad from the camera’s view to type in a number before swiping the pre-paid card.

The cashier blinks at her computer screen and then looks up at Caleb. “Did you mean to–”

“Yes,” Caleb assures her, smiling and taking his bag. “Thank you.”

Ben wonders if he should let Anna book the Gardens. Just in case.

-

Caleb’s first day of shopping he got two t-shirts and donated 20% of his budget to charity. Ben clearly needs to step in.

He meets Caleb in an Express and loads him down with half a dozen potential shirts.

“This is a nice green,” Ben says, approving, when Caleb emerges from the dressing room in one of the Oxfords. “Emerald.” It looks great with Caleb’s coloring. Ben is making him purchase it.

Caleb nods. “I like it. What color green would you have said my sweater that you heartlessly binned was?”

The sweater in question had veered dangerously toward neon. “Lurid,” Ben says, disgustedly. “Lurid green.”

Caleb laughs. “All right. Hang on to this one for me.” He takes the same shirt in blue and pink back to the dressing room. He looks like he maybe expects Ben to say something about the pink, but it looks fantastic on him and real men wear pink anyway. Ben is going to make a point of it tomorrow.

Between stores and dressing rooms and a quick stop off for lunch, Caleb tells Ben all about Greenland. He talks to Ben about ecology and water tables and how many times Abe had to beg Mary to marry him before she’d put him out of his misery and agreed. 

Ben listens raptly, fascinated. He trades Caleb stories about Sam and Yale, about the year he spent in D.C. as an aide to Congressman Arnold, who’d turned out to be even more hypocritical and self-serving than the rest of the politicians in Washington, and how after he’d called Nathan to ask whether it was the CIA or the FBI that dealt with treason, the disillusionment of it all had driven Ben to Anna’s apartment with a bottle of wine and they’d gotten tipsy and decided they should have a show. 

Ben finds Caleb a nice anorak jacket and a messenger bag with a dozen internal pockets and a waterproof coating so he won’t miss the storage of his cargo pockets. He pretends he doesn’t see Caleb purchase a new pair of crocs. 

His heart feels quick and flushed and Ben wonders if this is what everyone is always talking about, if this is what it feels like, the first blush of falling in love. 

-

Anna let’s Ben monopolize Caleb for shopping days three and four before she takes him for day five and they let him loose on his own again for day six. The final day is the reveal and Ben hasn’t seen Caleb for two whole days. He doesn’t care if he shows up in a sack.

Caleb doesn’t. 

When he emerges from the dramatic shadowing of the studio to the bright staging area where Ben and Anna are waiting, Ben feels himself almost swoon. He locks his knees. 

Lafayette has done something to make the natural wave of Caleb’s dark hair look even more attractive and Caleb is wearing a _vest._ A vest with _pinstripes._ Ben wonders if he has Anna to blame for this. She knows how weak Ben is to both vests and pinstripes.

The vest itself is a subtle charcoal but the pinstripes are red, a bright pop of color that suits Caleb’s personality. He’s has on his Humane Society shirt underneath it. The red cotton matches the pinstripes and the vest gives it a perfect structure. 

“You look _amazing_ ,” Ben says, taking in the crisp black slacks and the sturdy Doc Martens. He’s wearing a belt with a buckle shaped like an anchor.

“Seconded,” Anna says, bringing Caleb over to stand in front of the full length mirror. “The vest was a great choice and your personality still shines through beautifully. How do you feel in this?”

“I feel great in this,” Caleb grins. He’s looking at Ben in the mirror and not himself. Ben shifts his gaze to see himself standing behind Caleb. His jaw is hanging open unattractively. Ben forces it to close.

Ben wouldn’t mind if Caleb wore this all the time, forever, but he makes himself say, “Can we see another outfit?”

Caleb goes back to the studio to do a quick change and comes back in a pair of perfectly fitting jeans, Birkenstocks, and a green, bicep-hugging t-shirt with the recycle symbol on it. A pair of aviators are tugging the v of the t-shirt down to show an extra sliver of skin. 

Ben feels like he needs to sit down, but there aren’t any chairs. “You look _amazing_ ,” he says, again.

“I see you found some of New York’s magic pants,” Anna laughs.

Ben winks at Caleb in the mirror and then wonders if that was too forward. It feels different coming from him than it did from Caleb somehow.

Caleb looks thrilled.

“This is a fantastic look on you,” Anna says. “What would you wear this for?”

Caleb considers. “I think this could be a date look,” he says. “Or I could wear this to ask someone on a date. Something casual.” He turns to look at Ben. “Coffee? Lunch maybe?”

Ben swallows. _Is Caleb_ asking _him or is he just asking Ben what he thinks about the outfit?_

Anna waves her hand across her throat in a cut motion and the cameraman stops filming. “Everybody take five,” she says. “Except you, Ben.” She nudges him gently toward Caleb.

“Sorry. I didn’t think about the cameras,” Caleb says, wincing. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to say yes.”

“ _Yes_ ,” Ben says, vehemently. “Coffee. Or lunch. Either. Both.”

“Both then,” Caleb says, his eyes warm. “Maybe dinner too.” He takes Ben by the wrist and tugs him toward the door. 

“Wait,” Ben says, “You’re supposed to show us something else.” They always do three different outfits in the reveal.

Caleb smiles. The corners of his eyes crinkle, the way they did the first time Ben ever saw him, but better because this time it’s for Ben. 

“I’ll show you something else, Tallmadge,” Caleb says, and pulls Ben down into a kiss.


End file.
